Source:
https://scmp.com/business-reports/business/topics/indonesia-business-report-2018/article/2152543/gunung-sewu Business
Gunung Sewu Manufacturing sets standards of excellence in fine tableware and shoe industries across the world
Supported by:
Discovery Reports
Tjandra Suwarto, CEO of Gunung Sewu Manufacturing
Through its subsidiaries Indo Porcelain and Sepatu Mas Idaman (SMI), Gunung Sewu Manufacturing is setting high global standards for fine tableware and shoe manufacturing.
“We value talent and continuous innovation,” says Tjandra Suwarto, CEO of Gunung Sewu Manufacturing. “By training and keeping our skilful workers, we are able to consistently raise the level of our overall technical expertise.”
Indo Porcelain produces about 1.7 million pieces of fine tableware from its Tangerang factory every month. While some 60 per cent of these are exported to global tableware brands William Sonoma, West Elm, Crate&Barrel and Lenox in the United States, and Rörstrand of the Fiskars Group in Europe, the rest are marketed under the company’s own Zen brand. Targeting four- and five-star hotels, the company has launched the ZEN Signature Collection, a fine, elegant and high-durability tableware. The Zen brand has also tapped the support of distinguished Indonesian high-fashion designer Sebastian Gunawan to conceptualise a mixture of Indonesian and Chinese motifs for its Blue Moon Collection to appeal to its retail customers.
Indo Porcelain has an excellent track record working with foreign brands such as Crate&Barrel, West Elm, Lenox and Rörstrand. With a research laboratory and a team of designers, the company helps such clients come up with concepts for their new product lines.
Meanwhile, Gunung Sewu Manufacturing has achieved similar success in shoe manufacturing. Subsidiary SMI collaborates in the product development and manufacturing of top brands such as Sperry Top-Sider, Sebago and Wolverine.
“We have built a reputation for excellent quality, on-time delivery and competitive pricing among our export buyers comprising original equipment manufacturers,” Suwarto says. “We have built good relationships with them, with some lasting more than 25 years. They have come to trust us in keeping their respective product development cycles strictly confidential.”
SMI produces about 10,000 hand-sewn casual leather shoes daily, with a growing percentage sold under the company’s Gino Mariani brand through local retail shops and e-commerce sites such as Lazada and Zalora. Renowned for style and comfort, the brand uses only the best leather imported from Europe and Asia, and boasts of a more durable, hand-stitched underlay.
To drive the growth of the Gino Mariani brand in Indonesia and expansion into Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, SMI welcomes designers, distributors, retailers and e-commerce platforms across the region. The company already has several design and business professionals from South Korea, and has hired an expert from Italy to help with its expansion in Asia.
“Our vision is to become a leader in the region,” Suwarto says. “Potential partners could provide the perfect locations and showrooms that could serve as gateways to the world for our products.”